A fire burns out of control at the corner of 67th Street and West Boulevard in South L.A. during the 1992 Civil Unrest. Recently, senators Diane Feinstein and Kamala Harris introduced a resolution commemorating the 25th anniversary of the event (Photo Courtesy: AP file photo)

“[Recently] I had a town hall meeting at the First African-American Methodist Church in South Los Angeles—the place I visited in the aftermath of the city’s civil unrest. It gave me an opportunity to reflect on the deep anger and pain that engulfed the community 25 years ago.

“While we still have more work to do, community leaders in Los Angeles have committed to stop the divisiveness that tore the city apart by confronting it together. The mayor, police chief, elected officials, clergy, business owners and community leaders continue to work together to address deep-seated issues and implement broad changes. Los Angeles has come a long way and I’m extremely heartened by the meaningful dialogue that binds our communities together.”

Harris released the following statement:

“While this anniversary is a painful reminder of a dark period in our nation’s history, it should also serve as a moment for us to reflect on and acknowledge the strides made within the community and the Los Angeles Police Department.

“This community has organized to improve conditions while the department has made important strides to prevent civil unrest of that magnitude, but there is still much more to do to strengthen the bonds of trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”

Whereas the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest is also referred to as the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the South Central riots, the Rodney King riots, the Los Angeles uprising, the 1992 Los Angeles civil disturbance, and “Sa-I-Gu”, which means April 29 in Korean;

Whereas the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest began in South Central Los Angeles, California, following the acquittal of 4 Los Angeles Police Department officers who were charged with using excessive force against an African-American taxi driver named Rodney King;

Whereas the acquittal immediately resulted in the formation of large crowds and a public outcry over concerns of racial injustice and police brutality, which soon led to civil unrest at the intersection of Florence Avenue and Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles and continued throughout Los Angeles;

Whereas, during the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest, more than 60 individuals lost their lives amid the looting and fires, more than 2,000 individuals suffered injuries, and more than 11,000 individuals were arrested;

Whereas more than $1,000,000,000 of property damage was incurred during the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest, with approximately 3,600 fires set and destruction to over 1,100 buildings throughout Los Angeles;

Whereas the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest continued for a total of 6 days, during which the unrest spread through multiple neighborhoods, including Koreatown, Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lynwood, Compton, and Long Beach;

Whereas the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest ended following the deployment of thousands of United States Armed Forces personnel;

Whereas, on May 2, 1992, an estimated 30,000 individuals gathered in a peace march in Koreatown during the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest, calling for healing and supporting merchants in Koreatown whose businesses were decimated; and

Whereas, on April 29, 2017, local leaders, business owners, and individuals in the African-American, Latino, and Korean-American communities will join together to remember the lives lost during the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest and to discuss continued work to promote unity in Los Angeles: Now, therefore, be it resolved, That the Senate—

(1) recognizes and offers condolences to all who lost their lives, suffered injuries, and suffered losses to their businesses and property during the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest;

(2) recognizes and commends the communities throughout Los Angeles for the work done to bring different constituencies together to recover and rebuild Los Angeles, improve police oversight, and continue the momentum for change gained in the ensuing months and years following the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest; and

(3) expresses hope that the memory of the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest will promote greater dialogue, civility, and unity among all of the communities throughout Los Angeles.

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